TransplantNow The Ultimate Guide to Clinical Transplant Research

Several randomized controlled trials have shown lower rates of non-melanoma skin cancer among patients who receive sirolimus from the time of transplant. This study randomized previously transplanted patients who had previously had at least one skin cancer to either continue on their usual immunosuppression or change their calcineurin inhibitor to sirolimus. There were fewer new [...]

This paper prevents further results from a randomized controlled trial of mandatory conversion from cyclosporine to everolimus. There remains a higher acute rejection rate in the everolimus-treated patients. However, renal function remained better in the everolimus arm. As in many such trials, a significant number of patients treated with everolimus had to change to other [...]

Optimal outcomes for kidney transplants require excellent preservation of the kidney between the time of procurement and implantation. These authors performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing different preservation solutions in use today. While the number of available studies was small, Eurocollins solution was associated with a higher risk of delayed graft failure than UW, HTK, [...]

This article advocates the use of “nudges” to increase the supply of donated organs.  A nudge is “any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives” eg. changing the sign on a waste receptacle from “waste” to “landfill” to encourage [...]

Diabetes is a common complication post-renal transplant that affects long-term patient and graft survival. In this small randomized-controlled trial, patients were Randomized to treatment with basal insulin for fasting glucose > 7.8 mold/L, or standard care. Patients in the treatment arm were less likely to develop diabetes during the first year post-transplant, and had a [...]

The authors promote a concept that is initially shocking- that organ donation euthanasia would be a rational improvement over current practice regarding withdrawal of life support. They argue that there are several untested methods of increasing organ donation, including euthanasia, and that patients should be given the choice of whether and how they would like [...]

Gardiner and Sparrow argued in a 2010 article that the pre-mortem procedures as typically used in donation after cardiac death (DCD) protocols violate a proper understanding of the dead donor rule (DDR). Napier argues that whether or not particular pre-mortem interventions violate this condition of respect for the donor will depend on whether they are [...]

The authors attempt to challenge the belief that presumed consent results in higher rates of deceased donation. They interviewed 15 participants from 13 countries with presumed consent legislation and found that: (1) donation was always discussed with family; (2) content of family discussion varied; (3) donation would not proceed if family objected; and (4) other [...]

Dengue is a mosquito-transmitted disease endemic in South-East Asia. There are very few reports of Dengue infection post-organ transplant. This report describes 8 cases of dengue viral infection in renal transplant recipients, 3 of who developed severe disease with fatal hemorrhagic shock. Transplant patients need to be aware of personal-protection measures against mosquitos when travelling [...]

CMV infection post-transplant is responsible for direct end-organ disease but may also contribute to other infections through its immunomodulatory properties. Previous studies do not show a consistent link between CMV and recurrence of hepatitis C post-liver transplant. In this retrospective study, CMV infection was associated with an increased fibrosis and inflammation scores. This was regardless [...]